Game-table.



Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

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E. E. PAY.

GAME TABLE.

APPLIOATIQN FILED JUNE 29, 1912.

COLUMBIA PLANuuRAPl-l C04, WASHINGTON, n. c.

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GAMB TABLE.

APPLICATIONTILBD JUNE 28. 1912. 1,070,592, Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

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UNTE) STATES EDGAR E. FAY, OIE NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

GAME-TABLE.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 29, 1912. Serial No. 706,730.

To all whom Z5 may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDGAR E. FAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newton, in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Game-Tables,of which the following is a specification.-

This invention relates to improvements in game tables and the primeobject thereof is to provide a cushioning means, which .1s arrangedalong the edge of the rail of said table and which shall be far moredurable and much less expensive than the ordinary bank of rubber socommonly used in such connection.

Another object of the invention is to provide a table adapted to bequickly converted from a pool to a billiard table or vice versa with butlittle trouble and with no adjustments or alterations connectedtherewith to secure such conversion.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means to dispose ofthe balls which are used in connection with the pool table as the sameare shot from the playing surface thereof into the pockets arrangedabout the edge of said table.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement o-f parts bywhich the said objects and other objects hereinafter appearing areattained, as set forth in the following specification and particularlypo-inted out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of a table embodyingmy invention with the same arranged as a billiard table. Fig. 2 is aplan view of a table embodying my invention as shown converted into apool table. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation taken on line3, 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged det-ail sectional plan of one ofthe wires constituting a cushioning means, and the means for varying thetension of said wire. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional elevationtaken on line 5, 5 of Fig. 2, with parts broken away. Fig. 6 is anenlarged detail sectional elevation taken on line 6, 6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7is a detail sectional elevation taken on line 7, 7 of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 isa sectional elevation taken on line 7, 7 of Fig. 2 illustrating amodified form of my invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of thedrawings.

In the drawings, 10 is a base constructed in a manner common to that inwhich the bases of pool and billiard tables are constructed and which issurmounted by a top 11 provided with a playing surface 12, said topbeing preferably rectangular in shape. A frame 13 is disposed about theedge of said top preferably at a slight distance away from said edge andis sustained in coperative relation to said playing surface by brackets14, 14 secured to the base 10 and provided with projections 15, whichproject upwardly and engage the inner wall 16 of said frame and thuslocate the same in its proper relation to said top, the space betweensaid inner wall 16 and the edge of said top being for the purpose ofpermitting the dust and dirt from the surface of the table to be swepttherethrough, and rendering said table much easier to be kept clean. Theframe 13 is reversible, one face 17 of which is adapted to be used forplaying billiards, as illustrated in Fig. l, while the opposite face 18is provided with pockets 19, 19 as in Fig. 2, which may be used whenplaying pool. Said frame simply rests upon the brackets 14 and isadapted to be reversed at will without disconnecting or adjusting anypart of said table, and furthermo-re said frame is hollow having apassage 20 preferably extending along the sides, which co-nducts theballs from the playing surface of said table as they are shot into vthepockets 19, from the corner pockets toward the pockets 19a and 19h,which are located midway between said corner pockets on the sides ofsaid table, the bottom of the passage 20 from said corner pockets 19toward the pockets 19a and 19b is preferably inclined, as shown by thedotted lines 21 and 22, Fig. 3, and in section Fig. 5 and as the balls,which are shot into said passage, move toward said pockets 19a and 19`Dthey are guided by curved guides 23, 23 `loutwardly and through t-heopenings 24 (see Fig. 6) and into the net 25 from which they may bereadily removed, while the balls entering the pockets 19a and 19b directfrom the playing surface are shot downwardly upon the incline 26 andinto said net. For the purpose of more successfully guiding the ballsfrom the playing surface 12, the frame 13 is provided with extensions 27which project across the opening between said frame and the top 11 atpoints adjacent to the sockets 19, 19 and 19a and 191.

In tne ordinary billiard or pool table a bank of rubber is arrangedalong the inner Patented Aug. 19,1913.

the balls as they are shot across the tabley and cause them to rebound.This form of cushioning means is exceedingly expensive owing to the highprice of rubber and to the fact that the rubber deteriorates or becomesdead which necessitates the replacement thereof from time to time. Toovercome this objection, I employ a cushioning means embodying in itsconstruction wire strands 23, 28 disposed parallel to the inner walls ofsaid frame at a slight distance therefrom, and at a slight distanceabove the playing surface of said table. In connection with the billiardtable said strands might be mounted directly upon the top of said table,but for convenience in operation in .changing from one table to theother, I preferably support said wires upon said frame and in the mannerillustrated in Fig. 4, the end of said strand 28 being looped andattached at one end to a pin 29 in said frame 13, and at the oppositeend thereof to a screw 30 provided with projections 31, 31 adapted toengage slots 32 extending into the frame 13 along the side of the hole33 in which said screw is placed. A nut 34 is inserted in a hole 35 uponthe outer wall of said frame and presses against the shoulder 36. Saidnut is also pro-vided with a tubular shank portion 37 which isscrew-threaded to receive the end of the screw 30. The head of said nut34 is iush with the outer wal-l of said casing and is provided with arecess 38 screw 30 drawn into said shank portion 37` and thus vary thetension of said strand 28,

said screw 30 being prevented from rotat-y ing by the projections 31engaging said slots 32. Each of the strands 28 in the constructionillustrated in Fig. 1 is preferably provided with this form of tensionapplying means.

In connection with the pool table illusfv trated in Figs. 1 and 2different means of support for said strands are employed on account ofthe pockets 19, 19 as the wire must terminate at said pockets, thesemeans being more clearly illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 and consistingof levers 39 pivoted at 40 to plates 41 which are preferably mountedupon the inner wall of the frame 13. Secured to said levers 39 areresilient extensions or springs 42 which incline upwardly at an angle tosaid playing surface 12 and toward the openings in the pockets 19, 19and 19a and 19h, one of said levers being disposed at .each side of eachof said pockets. Guards 43 are secured at the upper ends of saidextensions and form guides from said playing surface iii-to .each ofsaid pockets, each .of said pockets also having rings 44 which connectwith said guards 43 and receive the balls as they are shot from saidplaying surface from which point they drop into said passage 20. Thestrands 28 are connected to the upper ends of said extensions 42, andhave tension applied thereto through the rocking of said levers 39 bymeans of screws 45 having screw-threaded engagement with said levers 39and contacting with the upper edges of the plates 41. It will be notedby reference to Figs. 6 and 7 that the strands 28 are disposed slightlybelow and above the upper and lower faces respectively of the frame 13vand are slightly outside of the edge 46 of the top 11 of said table, inorder that said strands may clear said top as said frame 13 is removedfrom said base to be reversed.

In Fig. 8 I have illustrated a modified form of my invention whichembodies a frame 48 having a passage 49 and provided with an opening 50which preferably extends entirely around said table and which passage isprovided with inclines at the bottom thereof which are adapted to guidethe balls away from said pockets, it being understood that said galleryor passage is'al- .on said surface will contact with said wires .atabout lmidway their vertical diameters, the ytension being such thatthey will rebound from one side to the other, and in addition to saidwires being cushioning means `the levers or the extensions 42 formed onthe levers 39 are also of such resiliency that as .the balls strike theupper ends thereof they will also rebound and the saine may be saidlwith regard to the guards 43, said guards being preferably covered withfelt or other suitable material to deaden the sound caused by the impactbetween said balls and said guards.

lVliile I have clearly described in the above, the preferred embodimentof my invent-ion no undue limit-ations should be understood therefrom,but the claims should be construed as broadly as permissible in View ofthe prior art.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire by LettersPatent to secure is:

1. A device of the class described having, in combination, a topprovided with a playing surface and cushioning means thereon embodyingparallel wires extending longitudinal-ly of said top and adjacent toopposite sides thereof respectively, parallel wires extendingtransversely of said top and adja-Y change the angle of said springs tovary the tension to said wires.

2. A device of the class described having, in combination, a base, a toptherefor provided with a playing surface, a reversible frame extendingaround the edge of said top, and cushioning means disposed adjacent tothe inner wall of said frame and in close proximity to the top andbottom faces respectively, of said frame.

3. A device of the class described having, in combination, a base, a toptherefor provided with a playing surface, a reversible frame supportedon said base, with a portion of said frame projecting above the playingsurface of said top and a portion thereof extending below said top,cushioning means disposed adjacent to the inner wall of said frame abovesaid top, and a second cushioning means disposed adjacent to the innerwall of said frame below said top.

4. A device of the class described having, in combination, a base, a toptherefor provided with a playing surface, a reversible frame, means tosustain said frame on said base in cooperative relation to said playingsurface, and cushioning means disposed adjacent to the Ainner wall ofsaid frame in close proximity to the top and bottom edges thereofrespectively.

5. A device of the class described having,

i in combination, a base, a top therefor provided with a playingsurface, a hollow reversible frame provided with a plurality of pockets,upon one face thereof, means to sustain said frame in cooperativerelation to said playing surface, and cushioning means disposed adjacentto the inner walls of said frame in close proximity to the top andbottom edges thereof respectively.

6. A device of the class described having, in combination, a base, a toptherefor provided with a playing surface, a reversible frame, means tosustain said frame in cooperative relation to said playing surface,cushioning means including wire strands disposed parallel to the innerWalls of said frame, at a distance below the top and above the bottomedges thereof, and means adapted to adjust the tension of said wires.

7. A device of the class described having, in combination, a. topprovided with a playing surface, a frame detachably arranged adjacent tothe edges of said top, and cushioning means including wire strandsdisposed parallel with and in close proximity to the inner -Walls ofsaid frame and at a distance above said playing surface.

S. A device of the class described having, in combination, a topprovided with a playing surface, a frame arranged along the margin ofsaid top, said frame having a passage therein and openings in the innerand top walls of said frame connecting said passage with said playingsurface, and cushioning means including wire strands disposed along themargin of said top at a distance from said playing surface, saidcushioning means being provid-ed with a plurality of openingscorresponding with the openings in said frame.

9. A device of the class described having, in combination, a topprovided with a playing surface, a hollow frame extending around theedge of said top, having openings in the inner and top walls thereofcom-- municating with said playing surface, means to sustain said hollowframe in coperative relation with said playing surface, said hol lowframe being placed at a distance from the edge of said top to provide aspace between the outer edges of said top and the inner edges of saidhollow frame, and cushioning means embodying wires disposed along theedges of said top between said hollow frame openings.

10. A device of the class described have ing, in combination, a topprovided with a playing surface, a hollow frame extending around saidtop, having openings in the inner and top walls thereof communicatingwith said playing surface, means to sustain said frame with saidopenings in coperative relation with said playing surface, cushioningmeans embodying wires disposed along the edges of said top between saidopenings, levers pivotally mounted on said frame having` resilientextensions thereon adapted to support said wires, and means to rock saidlevers upon their pivots whereby the tension of said wires may bevaried.

ll. A device of the class described having, in combination, a topprovided with a playing surface, a frame having a passage thereinsurrounding said top, and provided with a plurality of openingscommunicating with the said playing surface, the bottom of said passagebeing inclined downwardly from said openings, wires disposed parallelwith the edges of said top at a distance from said playing surface, andterminating at said openings, levers pivotally mounted on said framehaving resilient upwardly extending arms inclining toward said openingsat an angle to said playing surface and constituting supports for saidwires, and means adapted to roch said levers to vary the tension of saidwires.

12. A device of the class described having, in combination, a topprovided with a playing surface, a frame having a passage thereinsurrounding said top, and provided with a plurality of openingscommunicating with said playing surface, the bottom of said passagebeing inclined downwardly from said openings, wires disposed parallelwith the edges of said top at a distance from said playing surface, andterminating at said openings, levers pivotally mounted on said framehaving resilient upwardly extending arms inclining toward said openingsat an angle to said playing surface and constitut ing supports for saidwires, means adapted to rock said levers to, vary the tension of saidwires, and lguards secured to said resilient arms adapted to directballs from said playing surface into said openings.

13. A device of the class described having, in combination, a topprovided with a playing' surface, a hollow demountable frame extendingaround the edge 0f said top, and at a distance therefrom, and havingopenings in the inner walls thereof communicating' with said playing'surface, plates secured to the inner wall of said frame at opposite saidplates to vary the tension of said wires.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing' witnesses.

EDGAR VE. FAY. Vitnesses:

SYDNEY E. TAET, LEONARD A. POWELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

